Midnight at Madame Leota's

Tales from the Haunted Mansion #2

by Amicus Arcane

The Haunted Mansion's resident librarian, Amicus Arcane, has returned with another set of spooky stories to share. Follow along with him as he tells new terrifying tales while leading the Mansion's newest visitor to a secret seance with the mysterious Madame Leota.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Paranormal, Fantasy, Ghosts, Young Adult, Fiction

225 pages, Hardcover

First published July 18, 2017

About the author

Who am I? I am Amicus Arcane, your librarian and host. Your Ghost Host. Welcome, foolish mortals, to Disney Press’ spookiest chapter book series yet: Tales from the Haunted Mansion!

Reviews

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much better than vol. 1.

I enjoyed the tales in this book a lot better than in the first book. My favorite story from this one was the haunted carnival ride one.

I also liked that the main character in this book, William, was in the first book. It worked really well.

As usual, I appreciated the ride references as well as the It’s A Small World one.

Overall, this book did not disappoint.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have been madly in love with this when I was younger. It's everything I want--multiple creepy stories but with a premise around the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland (my favorite ride). As an adult, I still freaking love it and I am so glad I picked this up at Yallwest. I wasn't too interested when I initially saw it so huge kudos to these writers for blowing my socks off.

I haven't read the first one, but it seems like our narrator is very slowly introducing us to the 999 happy haunts within the Haunted Mansion. Our main story follows a man named William who is desperate to connect to his dead sister. During his journey, he hears about three different stories. Each one represents one of the ghosts and paints a picture of how they got there in the first place.

Seriously, I freaking loved this. I was half tempted to keep the book to grace my bookshelf but I have so many damn books already that I'm not willing to give up that I can't fit anything else. I love ghost stories and this did a surprisingly good job of building atmosphere.

For the record, this book names the three hitchhiking ghosts you see at the end of the ride. As I named them myself when I was very young, I'll have you know this book lies--their real names are Eddie (the fat one with a top hat), Boris (the tiny old man) and Frankie (the tall skeletal-looking one). Eddie, Boris, and Frankie, you got that?!

[Suhailah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...perched on a hill, overlooking the graveyard, stood a grand old mansion, enclosed by steel gates. But it wasn’t just any old mansion. Its construct was born of a morbid mind; there was a discernible madness to its contradictory styles. Turrets jutted into the dark clouds, while oversized chess pieces adorned its roof. Scary, yet playful."

Yes, I'm a foolish mortal for coming back to this series ....Volume 2 complete! ✓✓
I just had to come back to play at the Haunted Mansion!

Volume 2 began a bit more serious than Volume 1, reflecting the loss of a loved one and exploring that desperateness grief can make one feel--such as the obsessive desire of communicating with a deceased loved one once more to ensure they are truly okay. There were some nice twists and a creepy turn of events that I really enjoyed. It all really came together in the end. With that being said, it's really helpful to have read Volume 1 first.

I enjoyed having the playful narrator back for Volume 2 and the consistent nods to the Haunted Mansion lore. Though I have to say the stories were much stronger in Volume 2 than the ones in Volume 1 with some unforgettable moments. Even though these books are meant for children, I always enjoy a nice light scare and creepy tales, so this was still very fun and entertaining for me.

Since Halloween is getting so close, I originally thought I'd save the next two volumes to read next year, but now I don't think I can hold back! This is a fun little haunting series and can't wait for more!

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Amicus Arcane, the Haunted Mansion's librarian and ghost host tour guide, has done it again! He will scare you into the classic tales of who the 'Hat Box ghost' is and how became a ghost! If you are a true Disney fan....you must read these books!

So William is back in this second book and he is looking for his lost sister.....will he be successful in finding her? Wow, Arcane introduces the reader into so so many more scary situations in this book than in the first one. Vampires, haunted and deadly amusement park dark house rides, (which I LOVE D THIs ONE!), an uncle losing his most beloved Vintage and beautiful Movie House, and we cannot forget about the Ghost Bride that lives in the atttic!

These books have brought to life all 999 of the scary but oh, so beautiful intheir own ways, that we love to be scared by everytime that we ride the Haunted Mansion ride at the Disney Parks! You will love reading along and being scared too. This 2nd book has more horrific and scary scenes.....read first before reading or letting small children read this one. I LOVED this! Cannot wait to start the 3rd book!

5 👻👻👻👻👻

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It definitely got better.

Midnight at Madame Leota's was completely entertaining. Plus the flow and transition between book and this book did not disappoint. I liked seeing someone once again from the previous book but it was also nice to get to know everyone else. Each story, again, brought something new and interesting. I was definitely more focused this time around and that's probably due to meeting everyone that I feel in love with in the movie. Can't wait to dive into the next one!

[Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much! Definitely than the first one.

Its great how it connects with the stories from the first book. The ending makes you want to read it all over again so you can find out all the little hints that’s hidden throughout the plot.

[Zoe Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was exited to read about madame leota but she in fact lasted three pages and we never saw her again. But yeah it has cute stories and fun art.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, as much as I loved the first. The stories are properly terryfying, with the special touch from the Haunted Mansion, but good enough for kids who love these type of stories, and for adults who enjoy them too. And for fans of the actual Haunted Mansion attraction, they are beautiful, wonderful, and amazing. Recognizing all the Easter Eggs is really fun and it adds to the reading.
I want more!

[Emmy Lou Musgrave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books. While not the scariest stories I've ever read, they are spooky for sure. I like that the format is anthological, with the main "story" happening in between the stories being read. This one centers on a young man looking to commune with his dead sister. (who is one of the kids from the fearsome foursome in the first book!) The last story in this book gave me the absolute willies, though! Roaches man, I can't stand stories about bugs. I have the creepy-crawlies all night!

[Jenn G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series. They are such fun books to read (or listen to). The Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride at Walt Disney World and Disneyland so every little references or Easter eggs made me smile.

[Elizabeth Laskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales of Haunted Mansion #2 turned out to be quite an improvement over the first volume.

As a kid, I would love these so bad! Still, really interesting to read as an adult (*sigh*). A perfect combo of goosebumps and stories to tell in the dark, in a Disney Haunted Mansion setting.

The stories are tried together a bit better, as there's an overarching narrative glueing them together, and the main character is the one I could sympathize more with.

As for the short stories themselves, they were more engaging and better written. I only liked the last one from first volume, whereas here I enjoyed them all immensely, and I found the ending really satisfying.

The book's just more atmospheric, and feels very Haunted Mansion.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! The stories are that creepy, fun scary. If you love The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney and like being a little scared, check this out!

[Amber Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

These just keep getting better and better. I loved getting to Madame Leota! These are such fun spooky books. I cannot wait to read the next one and would definitely recommend this.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, dark, and fun with great Haunted Mansion references and backstories throughout.

[Bookworm of the Damned · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my review on Youtube.

https://youtu.be/vDMN3ampn2Y

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun stories for Haunted Mansion lovers with only brief reference to the first book (so you could read them out of order).

[Matt Spaulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! Just so delightful. Written for kids, of course, but just so much fun! So very "Haunted Mansion-y", even more so than the first book in the series, with Easter eggs to other things Disney World related thrown in.

If you are a fan of the classic Disney ride, this will make you so happy and excited to get back to your favorite park again.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like it. I was expecting more of a storyline involving Madame Leota (her beginnings or how she became the spirit in the magic ball). However, out of a book over 200 pages, she was only on about a handful being spoken about by other characters while she herself was only on about 2 pages.

This was basically a bunch of short scary stories tied into a larger main story. It didn't feature much about the mansion itself even though it took place there. It felt like the Scary Stories series you would read as a kid from the local book fair or an episode of Tales from the Crypt.

The stories were childish. However, the garish details made it not child appropriate.

[Liezl Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, here's a book that will have your heart hammering even if it's a middle grade book meant to be read by kids. Other writers out there, you should take from this and not blame me for being a crabby adult. As an adult, I'm giving it four thumbs up (I had to include my big toes). The narration will carry you away with its flowing words. The author didn't do heavy descriptions, as he doesn't need to, just a manner of storytelling that will have you up on your toes.

Review will be posted on Zirev.com

Finishing this book puts a smile to my face. It's not always that I feel so nostalgic and this book has taken me back to my imaginative childhood. Needless to say, I like it a lot.

Kids of all ages will definitely enjoy this book. Midnight at Madame Leota's has a lilting prose that will make it easy to follow among kids. The author was really good at his craft of horror storytelling. The stories in the book were simple but ones that will gnaw on your head for its blazing uniqueness despite using overused references like the Vampire Count himself, a zombie with a singular purpose, and a haunting of an army of hideous insects (which is reminiscent of Stephen King's works). Oh wait, this book is supposed to be middle grade. Anyhow, kids who don't have background with popular horror icons (or those who just live under a rock) will still get the creeps as the author's writing style captures real terror no matter how simple the plot is.

Before I forget, I love horror stories set on carnival haunted houses (yes, the book has it as its first card). I consider it a trope but one that the author was able to utilize well. The last story in the book wasn't scary to me but the incident tugs at my heart. My heart would like to reach out to the poor 13-year old girl, Camille, at the hands of an abusive aunt. She had suffered too much and suffered enough. The aunt wasn't the typical abusive (she might be had Camille lasted more than a week with her) but what she did that led to the child's demise was just unacceptable.

I'm actually surprised with the ending. The ones I consider to be bad entities turned out the be guests and therefore, decent ghosts. That was just a nice turn of events for me. I was anticipating some tragic thing to happen (despite the book being laced with tragic things) to William, our protagonist, since that's what the voice was implying (yes, that annoying one which tries hard to be scary). No, I'm not annoyed by the voice. I actually find it funny. By the voice, I'm referring to this disjointed texts that have their own creepy font (it's a separate voice directly addressing the audience).

The book was chiefly written in third person and just I love the style of directly addressing the reader. With it, I would say that the best part of the book is the humor. The book is so punny that it's so funny (puns everywhere, get it?). The house (house for fans of the series) will be packing as I truly enjoyed this book despite being new to the story. To new readers out there, welcome and enjoy your stay at the Haunted Mansion.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever wish you could go inside The Haunted Mansion, or maybe sneak into the library and curl up with one of its 999 chilling autobiographies- after all; they are always on the hunt for one more! This is your chance to go deep inside, as librarian Amicus Ravenswood welcomes any foolish mortal who chooses to pick up this book, taking them deep into his frightful tales.

Haunted mansion librarian, Amicus Arcane does it again, chilling his readers to the bone in his second ghostly installment: Midnight at Madame Leota’s. This time, there’s a new mortal, fresh for the taking. Will he become the next ghost they have all been waiting for?

For years, William has sought out every medium, psychic and spiritualist in the hopes of connecting with his sister. He is very accustomed to all their tricks and foolery, but desperately wants to find that one person that will make him believe. But everything is about to change for poor William; he will finally become a believer.

On this particular night, at the site of his sister’s grave, a strange man with a lantern extended in his left hand, formally dressed and ghostly pale presets himself; bestowing an offer that William can’t refuse- “an audience” with the infamous spiritualist Madame Leota. But once William arrives at the old mansion, the haunting stories and ghoulish delights chill even him to the bone. Opening the scene with three petrifying tales of; vampires, carnivals and a late night show, and of course the tale that William will become the star.

Starting with the first line, “Very Unhappy Returns,” and “Why have you come back,” readers are delightfully thrown right into the reading experience. Reminiscent of Disney’s beloved Haunted Mansion attraction, readers are taken on a ride throughout the pages, with the same narrated feel and spine tingling stories, following riders through their ghostly doom buggy demise. Don't go in the attic, for Constance is waiting for her new suitor, and it’s off with his head after all, we know she only marries “til’ death to us part.” Then join the restful spirits in the ballroom, fit for a birthday celebration that never ends. This time, readers are given just what they asked for; a background look into some of the ghosts that reside within the haunted mansion, but be prepared, their tales may haunt you.

Written once again for the middle grade audience, the librarian does his job telling readers new scary stories that will keep them up at night. With ties to the first book, The Fearsome Foursome the stories continue and intertwine, building to the tales that sit upon the library’s shelves..

Fall into the spellbinding allure of Midnight at Madame Leota’s with even more haunts, spooks and narratives straight from the ride, you will want to hurry back and read it a second time. With story telling that intensives as these books progress and the ability to recapture the magic, readers will be left with the wanting desire for another book, and another spin on a doom buggy

You can find the rest of my reviews and giveaways in my weekly newspaper column: For the Love of Books-Dixon's Independent Voice

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks

"Midnight at Madame Leota's" is book 2 in the "Tales from the Haunted Mansion" series by Amicus Arcane. Feeling guilty about the death of his sister several years prior, William journeys to the Haunted Mansion with the hope of speaking to Madame Leota so he can see the spirit of his sister one last time. He encounters the mansion's librarian who has some tales of terror to tell before William can continue on his quest.

Book 2 was slightly better than book 1. Once again, I'm not really the intended audience for these books, but I still had a nice, enjoyable time. I think there was a lot about this book that worked for me. The structure/format of this book is pretty similar to the first book. There's a frame narrative and in between are essentially short stories told by the mansion librarian. The frame this time around rotates around William, a.k.a. Billy, Willa's annoying little brother from book 1. A few years have passed and William is feeling guilty about the death of his sister. So he's come to the Haunted Mansion to speak to Madame Leota to hopefully speak to his sister one last time. Of course, the librarian has other ideas. I think there's a bit more thematic structure to this book. William does not believe in the supernatural. If anything, he seeks to debunk frauds. But yet, here he is at the Haunted Mansion. Part of his character journey is to get to that place to believe, so at first, the librarian's tales come across as sinister, but there's actually a greater purpose behind them because William needs to believe in the supernatural in order to see his sister. So as you read, it's a question of will William get to that place or not. Will he face absolution? I also preferred the short stories in this book as well. More my cup of tea, I guess. There's a creepy carnival. A boy whose family line might go back to Count Dracula. A bizarre movie left behind by a boy's deceased uncle. And a mute girl who is afraid of the dark. In some ways, these tales are just as generic and cliche as the tales from the previous book, but I still found myself liking these way better. My main gripe with the series so far has to do with the lack of the Haunted Mansion itself. I really wanted these books to take place solely at the mansion and examine the story of a ghost, preferably, ones from the actual Disney attraction. Instead, the stories are about random people who don't even reside at the mansion. Their spirits, for whatever unknown reason, just happen to end up at the mansion. The framing device around each book is the only time you spend at the mansion. And don't get me started about Madame Leota! I thought she'd play a larger role in this installment and she literally pops up the last 10 pages or so. I have to repeat, these books are not intended for me. They are for kids getting into the horror genre for the first time. I'm an adult wishing and expecting too much for something that is supposed to be generic and basic. Despite my issues, I'm still having a fun time and looking forward to the final two books.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

During this international pandemic, everything seems to be closed including "The Happiest Place on Earth." I've missed going to Disneyland, so to fill that hole, I picked up the second book in the Haunted Mansion series. (By the way, that's one of my favorite rides.) It's been awhile since I've read the first one, but as this is not really a connected series with returning characters other than the narrator Amicus Arcane, the passing of time is no issue.

This is a fun second chapter in the series of horror stories set around the Haunted Mansion. While each of the four stories don't necessarily take place inside the Haunted Mansion, there are certainly ties to the iconic ride. The through story is about William and the guilt he feels over the death of his sister. His skepticism leads him to search out Madame Leota which brings him into contact with Arcane who brings William to the library. There he unfolds four stories of terror. Each of the four stories are fun, and younger kids most surely will be scared. There's a house filled with cockroaches, a vengeful movie theater owner, a teen girl wanting to scare her friend on a carnival ride, and a vampire.

For those missing the ride, it's fun to see how the author brings in lots of nods to the ride. There are moments and descriptions you will recognize immediately if you are a lover of the ride. This second book in the series continues the fun that began in the first book. It's an easy, engaging read that sometimes funny especially when Arcane is providing his snarky asides during the four scary tales. While this isn't the ride we are all missing so much in this weird year (2020), it does bring some of the joy one experiences as they ride a Doom Buggy along the 999 happy haunts.

[Kate Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner
Series: Tales from the Haunted Mansion Book 2
Steam Level: Not Steamy

CW: death, murder, abuse

In order to get the full set up that leads to the mini stories, you do need to read the first book. The first book is great so you should read that anyway.

Quick Thoughts:
- The set up for this book, which I will not spoil, was unexpected and I loved it
- Unlike the first book, the stories in this book are about a few of the residents of the Mansion and not main characters like in book one
- I was very impressed by how different these stories were from book one. I absolutely loved them
- Like in book one, because there are mini stories in this larger one, the book had natural breaking points to pause your reading (not that I did, stayed up far too late a couple of nights)
- There are oodles of Easter eggs for the ride and it was such a delight every time it happened. Like in the first book, these just enhanced the book for people familiar with the ride but you don’t need to know the ride to understand the plot points of the story
- Something I really like about these two books (I’m assuming this tread continues to the next two) is that all these stories end like classic horror stories with a bit of a dun-dun-dun everything didn’t end happily and on kind of a cliffhanger
- Loved loved loved Madam Leota in this
- Fantastic ending and so very different from book one
- Malcolm Hillgartner hits it out of the park again. He is the perfect narrator for this series, the snark is spot on and his timing is perfect

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book to the point that I’m moving the next two books up my TBR above a few book challenge books I was going to listen to next. This series is just too much fun.

[Hailey Portugal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Midnight at Madame Leota’s by Amicus Arcane on a paper copy. I chose this book because it is the second book in the series I am reading. I believe that this book is considered paranormal fiction. The main character’s name is William Gaines. The book mostly takes place in the Haunted Mansion.
William Gaines wants to apologize to his sister. He has been trying to reach her for 8 years, 8 years since her death. She would be turning twenty today. Year after year, William has spoken to those who claim they can communicate with the dead, but they are all fake. Or so William thought. He meets a man who calls himself the librarian and follows him into a dark and gloomy mansion. The librarian, Arcane, read him a story about two girls at a carnival, a prank that went too far, and a "missing" child. After the story William decides to leave and Arcane warns him of the danger he will be in once he leaves the library. He didn't listen and left anyway and found a portrait of a vampire. Arcane shows up out of nowhere and tells him a story about a boy named Ernie, who finds out he is related to a vampire. Said vampire has been attacking people in the town until Ernie sends him off to the haunted mansion. Arcane decides that he wants to show William a film. The film is about a boy called Mark, whose uncle used to have his own movie theater; who died and then came back from the dead. When the film ended William went running off. He unfortunately found his way to the attic where he was chased by a psychopathic bride who has beheaded many, many of her former suitors. A young girl named Camille saves him, takes him back to the library, and Arcane decides to tell her story. Basically, Camille was killed by a bunch of roaches.
After the story, William runs out of the library, declaring that he believes in magic. He finally finds Madame Leota and gets to apologize to his sister, Willa. She tells him that it isn't his fault and that he has to go back to live his life. He wakes up back at her grave early in the morning. He is overjoyed that his sister is now at peace.
I would recommend this book to people around my age. It is good for anyone who wants to read a few spooky stories every now and then. I think it is appropriate for middle school readers. I enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend it.
I think I did a horrible job of reading over the course of the marking period. It took me around two months to read the first book. This book I started reading last week and I am quite disappointed in myself. As always, for the next marking period I want to try to read and update everyday.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this little book. As the sequel to the first of the Tales from the Haunted Mansion books, I wanted to finish what I started. What can I say? I 'm not a quitter, and this often keeps me reading book series that are mediocre, since I have an inherent need to keep going. While the individual stories were cute and somewhat scary for its intended audience (really...Parents should read beforehand to see if their kids would be able to handle some of these stories. I say no younger than 8-9 yrs of age at least), I appreciated the similar cynicism and sarcasm that was present with the narrator in the first book. I guess that's because it's supposed to be the same narrator? But here I am, making assumptions and being facetious. Again, each of the individual tales in this book were cute and appeared somewhat disconnected, even though ach were highly entertaining and charming. All are interwoven with the presence of William who has sought out Madame Leota in the hopes of speaking to a lost person of importance. This book literally comes down to the last 15 pages of the book in which all is revealed; each story is brought together, as well as the first book connecting with this one and bringing everything full circle. Also, it was a sweet ending that I was not anticipating. This quick read was very cute and I feel that reading both of these Tales from the Haunted mansion are worth it for anyone seeking additional thrills from a favored ride of Disney origins or wanting a quick, escapist read that goes beyond nostalgic in its creation.

[Heather Rochon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free e-ARC of Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume II: Midnight at Madame Leota’s from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Goosebumps meets Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark in Disney’s new series that centers around the live-in spooks of the famous Haunted Mansion. Our ghost host and author, Amicus Arcane, is the Mansion’s resident librarian and keeper of tales. This is a fun and entertaining series, especially for those who are fans of the Haunted Mansion.

In this second volume of Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Arcane spins the story of William, a visitor seeking a seance with the famous Madame Leota in order to find out what happened to his sister many years ago. Along the way, William learns the spooky stories of a few of the Haunted Mansion’s ghosts. (Fun fact: these are based on actual ghosts that are seen in the theme park ride.)

Geared towards ages 8-12, this book is the perfect amount of creepy without being terrifying. The stories are simple, yet with enough twists and turns to fit the age range. It even manages to have a bit of morbid humor through fourth wall breaking interjections by Arcane. The design of Midnight at Madame Leota’s, which is to look like an old book from the Mansion’s library, fits excellently into the style of the book, with creepy illustrations and ghostly figures hiding between the pages.

Read at your own risk!

4/5 Stars.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, let's be honest here. These Haunted Mansion are epic, even in the second installment they still keep the style of the first book in check and the hidden references to the ride and it's history. Of course, the book starts with an introduction from Amicus Arcane (Just like the last one) and then goes into the stories it will tell. For this installment, the main story focuses on a guy named William who is seeking a spiritual seance with Madame Leota. He ends up at the mansion, meets Amicus, and the story goes from there. However, this one had some things missing. When I say this, I mean that it felt as if there were some things the first one had that the second one didn't do as well or just didn't do at all. For example, the title of the book is "Midnight At Madame Leota's" and the book has hardly anything to do with the character of Madame Leota. Another one of these examples is that in the first book's set of stories, the commentary given by Amicus Arcane was humorous and had to do with the story. It's still humorous here but it gets repetitive from time to time. In my mind, the pros in this book highly outweigh the cons so I can say I really enjoyed it and recommend it. But if you're looking for some sort of backstory for Madame Leota, you're not gonna find it here.

[liza! · Rating 1 out of 5]

confused as to why i vehemently hated the first volume and then decided to pick this one up, thinking it would actually have something to do with mansion lore and madame leota. it hardly did. it’s just lightly themed goosebumps again.

anyways! why, according to this book series, are more than half of the ghosts in the haunted mansion apparently kids? none of the animatronics in the original ride are of children, and there are none present in the ride’s portraits or art.

and the sinister eleven, which includes the portrait of “the count” from one of the stories in this volume, was a set put into the wdw mansion in 1971. the story in which the count finds his way to the mansion takes place in the modern day- so how would his portrait have been there since the 70s? even if that’s ignored, the haunted mansion technically takes place in the distant past, not in the present. we argue about the time period a lot, but it’s assumed it isn’t the modern day in the ride! again with all the modern kids dying and the 999 happy haunts thing.

i just need to stop asking about the inconsistencies! this was definitely not written for insane fans like me!

| i read this as “a magical realism book” for the 2021 popsugar reading challenge! |

[Brayden Martens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a another great addition to the haunted mansion mythos. Both this volume and volume 1 are a throwback to the days of Goosebumps, and tales from the cryptkeeper. Both volumes each contain 4 separate stories that intersect in certain parts...if your paying attention. It also features a separate story outside 4 separate stories. Oh and did I mention the Author Amicus Arcane, as converses with the reader as he knows your every thought and move while reading these tales. Yes it is a story, within a story, within a story and it works out wonderfully. They all have twist endings in them, sort of in the style of Goosebumps, but be warned these are not for young children. Event he weakest of the stories surpasses any goosebumps book for horror, and intensity. As this is the 2nd volume I would suggest reading volume 1 first as there is a special treat in volume 2 for anyone who was brave enough to read through the first of these illustrious tomes. These tales of the Macabre will have you hurrying back to read more from the Mansions library... don't forget to bring your death certificate....

[Liwayway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another perfect book to read in October! It follows the journey of William, a man seeking to speak to his dead sister and make amends for the past. He encounters a spooky librarian who promises a meeting with Madame Leota, the real psychic being, but won’t until he shares the stories of the past, those that came before William, and the various ties to the beloved mansion.

For this avid Haunted Mansion fan, I caught detailed, specific connections that chilled and delighted. The writing is slightly lyrical - eery, humorous, and oddly hopeful as it binds all the stories we love from this timeless Disney attraction. There’s also a kind of comfort in reading the stories behind the images and characters of this rather odd establishment. Also, Madame Leota is one of many favorites, a force to be respected and reckoned with.

This second installment in The Haunted Mansion series connects spectacularly with the events of the first. There are more in the series, and you can be sure that this reader will be sure to “hurry back”!!